Rotary engine

ABSTRACT

Fluid-pressure operated rotary engine has annular rotor mounted to rotate in an annular chamber in fixed housing, rotor having plurality of peripherally spaced cavities defining cam surfaces between intermediate bearing lands for rotational engagement on cylindrical hub having peripherally spaced radial slots. Fluidpressure medium efficiently and effectively fed through rotor to said radial slots urges slide plates radially outwardly for cam engagement with cam surfaces and lands with rotation of said rotor induced by predetermined proportion of fluid-pressure medium being by-passed through slide plates to the cam cavities. Outlet passage means in rotor controls removal expended fluidpressure medium from cam cavities.

United States Patent [191 Meacham 1 Dec. 11, 1973 1 ROTARY ENGINE [76] Inventor: George W. Meacham, 2021 Edgewater Dr., Clearwater, Fla.

221 Filed: Man 24, .1972 21 Appl. No.: 237,815

[52] U.S. Cl 418/104, 418/175, 418/177, 418/183, 418/251 [51] Int. Cl. F0lc 19/00 [58} Field of Search ..418/104,112,175, 418/177, 183, 184, 251

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 812,588 2/1906 McLean 418/184 1,914,091 6/1933 Hamilton et a1..... 418/183 2,099,193 11/1937 Brightwell 418/177 3,304,879 2/1967 Hanson 418/184 3,639,092 2/1972 Sauvaget... 418/175 3.682,]43 8/1972 Leas 418/177 Primary Examiner-C. J. Husar Att0rneyWilliam Cleland [57] ABSTRACT Fluid-pressure operated rotary engine has annular rotor mounted to rotate in an annular chamber in fixed housing, rotor having plurality of peripherally spaced cavities defining cam surfaces between intermediate bearing lands for rotational engagement on cylindrical hub having peripherally spaced radial slots. Fluid-pressure medium efficiently and effectively fed through rotor to said radial slots urges slide plates radially outwardly for cam engagement with cam surfaces and lands with rotation of said rotor induced by predetermined proportion of fluid-pressure medium being by-passed through slide plates to the cam cavities. Outlet passage means in rotor controls removal expended fluid-pressure medium from cam cavities.

11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED [1E8 I I 1973 SHEEI 1 0F 2 ROTARY ENGINE BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Heretofore, fluid operated rotary engines have been suggested in various forms, utilizing fluid admitted through a passageway in a rotor shaft and vanes provided with'valve slots. One such rotary engine, for example, utilized a relatively rota table hollow casing having a relatively fixed rotor mounted within the same. Application of fluid pressure through and against radial vanes mounted within cam recesses in the casing caused the latter to rotate with reference to the rotor. Such devices have had no known practical application in practice, however, mainly because pressure fluid was free to leak from one cam recess to another, with resultant inefficient operation due to excessive back pressure created within the active cam chambers. In addition, a substantial loss of pressure was apparent or possible, due to leakage of the same past the bearing surfaces of the rotor and the casing.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The fluid-pressure operated rotary engine of the present invention utilizes a cylindrical hub affixed with respect to a fixed housing, and defining an annular chamber within said housing and an annular rotor mounted in said housing to rotate in the annular chamber. A plurality of peripherally spaced cavities in the rotor define cam surfaces between intermediate bearing lands which are in rotational engagement with said cylindrical hub, which is provided with peripherally spaced radial slots of predetermined radial depth opening toward said chamber. Slide plates radially slidably received in said radial slots have end'portions adapted to ride over said lands and the cam surfaces between the lands, upon forward rotation of said rotor in said annular chamber, and conduit means connected to the hub or shaft thereon provides a continuous supply of fluid-pressure medium: centrally through said rotor to said radialslots, for urging said slide plates radially outwardly toward fluid sealing engagement with said cam surfacesand said lands with rotation of said rotor. The slide plates also have passage means for by-passing a predetermined proportion or fluid-pressure mediumto leading sides of the slide plates whereby the by-passed pressure medium builds sufficient pressure within corresponding cavity portions to rotate said rotor in forward direction. Outlet passage means is provided in said rotor for conducting the expended fluid-pressure medium from said cam cavities at the trailing sides of said slide-plates.

The arrangement is such that there will always be at least one slide plate moving in a cam cavity to accomplish continuousrotation of the rotor in forward direction. The improved structure of the invention makes it possible to provide fluid-sealing means to prevent leakage between the cam cavities for efficient operation of the motor. Improved means are also provided for attaining maximum efficiency in the operation of the engine, by controlling the manner in which spent fluid pressure medium is conducted from the cam chambers. Objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings:

f the accompanying drawings:

.FIG. 1 is an end elevation, partly broken away and in section, illustrating one embodiment'of the improved pressure-fluid actuated rotary engine, in which an annular rotor has been rotated to a position of rotative operation with respect to a hub affixed to a fixed housing, by application of fluid pressure against one of a plurality of radial slide plates.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged framentary cross-section of a pressure controlled sealing means to prevent passage of pressure fluidbetween adjacent cam chambers in the annular rotor.

FIG. 3 is a vertical'cross-sectionthrough the rotary engine, substantially as viewed on the line 33 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, illustrating the rotary engine'with the rotor in anadvanced position of mechanical advantage to gain increased power from ignated by the numeral 16. A central power shaft 15 may be affixed on the rotor 14, to be rotatable therewith in suitable bearing means 22, 22 on an integral extension 23 on the fixed drum housing 11, whereby the rotor-l4 is freely rotatable within the closed annular chamber 13 (with a normal sliding fit). The fixed hub V presents a smooth cylindrical outer surface 18 for rotation within cylindrical inner wall surfaces of the rotor 14, to define a plurality of closed, :fluid-sealedchamber 19, 19 encompassed by axially spaced, parallel side' walls 20, 20 of the respective chambers and said smooth, cylindrical, bearing surface 18 of the fixed hub 12 (FIGS. 1 and 4). V

Radially slidably mounted in fluid-sealing relationship in peripherally spaced radial recesses 24, 24, pro- I vided in said fixed hub 12, may be a plurality (two being shown) of slide valve plates 25, 25. Inner ends of the recesses 24 communicate with a supply line 26,

from a source of pressurized fluid medium (not shown), through a central axial passage 27 and radial passages 28, 28 in the hub 12. The arrangement is such that a limited supply of this fluid medium will urge the slide-valve plates 25 radially outwardly, toward fluid sealing engagement of outer edge portions of the respective plates with complementally shaped cam surfaces 19a, 19b, or 19c, as the case may be, upon relative rotation of the rotor in a manner to be described. For this purpose, each valve plate 25 is provided with passage means or passages 29, 29 of total minimum flow area less than the flow areas of the respective radial slide recesses 24. The fluid medium entering said slide recesses from the radial passages 28 provides adequate pressure to urge the valve plates radially outwardly toward fluid sealing engagement ofthe outer edge portions of the respective valve plates with the inwardly presented complemental rotor surfaces, particularly including the cam surfaces 19a, 19b, and 19c, and intermediate bearing lands 21, 21, as best shown in FIG. 1. Passage means 29, 29 or substantial flow area is also provided radially through each valve plate 25, calculated to permit sufficient pressurized fluid medium to enter the respective cam chambers 19, at a trailing side of at least one slide-valve plate exposed within a chamber, to build up pressure within the respective cam chainber, thereby to rotate the rotor 14 in clockwise direction, as indicated by feathered arrows in FIGS. 1 and 4. Thus, with use of a lesser number of slide-valve plates than cam recesses, and with continued pumping of pressurized fluid medium through the passage means 29 of slide plates 25, there will always be at least one slide-valve plate 25 operating within a cam chamber 19 (see FIG. 1). When the rotor 14 is continuously rotated by the means described, the valve plates will be radially reciprocated, successively to pass from one cam recess to another.

As each slide-valve plate 25 enters a given cam chamber 19 as described, fluid pressure is built up therein at the trailing side of the respective plate 25 to urge the annular rotor 14 in said clockwise direction, while all residual fluid remaining in thesame chamber 19, at the leading side of the respective valve plate 25, will tend to be forced outwardly of the cam chamber 19, through an exhaust outlet passage 30 in the rotor, thereby to be discharged through peripherally spaced, V-shaped vanes 32, 32 in an annular grate 31 which is affixed in an annular space 33 in the stationary motor housing 11, to carry the discharge away in given outward direction through an annular exhaust passage 34 in housing 1 l and a connecting outlet extension 35. For this purpose, each cam chamber 19 may be relatively wide at the trailing end thereof and tapered sharply toward the leading end of the same, to provide for efficient discharge of the aforesaid residual fluid through an exhaust passage 30 in the rotor 14, the annular passage 34 and connecting outlet passage 35 to the exterior or otherwise. It will be readily apparent, by reference to the drawings, that the structure described lends itself to provision of appropriate seals between the moving parts in known manners, to prevent or minimize fluid leakage and thereby increase the efficiency of the motor.

With continuous passage of pressurized gas, air, or other fluid medium, through the slide-valve plates 25, in succession, pressure is built up at the trailing side of at least one plate 25 at all times, to accomplish continuous rotation of the rotor 14, and thereby to provide driving power for substantially any purpose through rotation of the output power shaft 15 with rotor 14. By particular reference to FIG. 1, it will be readily apparent that because the driving pressure is applied within cam chambers 19, located at a substantial radial distance from the axis of the fixed hub 12, the effective force applied rotation of the power shaft is relatively high in reference to the pressure of the fluid medium applied against the trailing sides of the slide-valve plates 25, due to application of the principle of mechanical advantage. Similar application of this principle can be utilized in motors of substantially any size.

For facilitating effective and efficient removal of the spent gasses from the cam chambers 19, an annular grate 31 including a plurality of closely spaced V- Shaped vanes 32 may be affixed in an annular space 33 in the housing 11, between the rotor 14 and the respective annular discharge passage 34. The vanes 32 are arranged as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 to direct the spent gasses in given peripheral direction toward the discharge outlet 35. Means may be provided to improve the efficiency of the motor 10, by preventing passage of the fluid-pressure medium between the rotor 14 and the hub 12. To that end, V-shaped annular sealing rings 37, 37 of resilient elastic material, such as rubber, may be mounted in the rotor 14, to be spring pressed against the flat opposite sides of the hub 12, at or near the cylindrical bearing surface of the hub, the rotor side-walls 20, 20 being made in sections to facilitate assembly with such sealing rings located as described. Likewise, for sealing against passage of fluid-pressure medium from one cam chamber 19 to another, straight T-shaped sealing bars 38 may be mounted in complementally shaped recesses 39 in the rotor at each bearing land 21, intermediate the chambers 19. Passage means 40 connects each chamber with the leading end of a next adjacent cam chamber 19, so that pressure medium from the respective cam chamber applies pressure against the cross-bar piece of the sealing bar to hold the inner stem end of the same in sealing engagement with the smooth cylindrical surface portions 18 of the rotor. If necessary, the slide-valve plates may be provided with suitable, resilient, fluid-sealing means to prevent unwanted passage of fluid medium from the slide-valve reccesses 24 to the trailing sides of the plates 25, which would otherwise reduce the efficiency of the motor.

To facilitate machining the rotor 14, and assembly of the same on the hub 12, the axially spaced sides 41, 41 thereof may be in the form of superposed inner and outer disc-like plates 42 and 43 removably secured together and connected to the ring-like, chambered part of the rotor, as best shown in FIG. 3. For this purpose, each inner plate 42 may be in the form of a central disc part 44 and an outer annular part 45. With use of this structure edge portions of each said plate part, of plate 42, may be complementally shaped to retain a V- shaped annular seal 46, of suitable resilient material compressed by a coil spring 47, thereby to maintain a pointed edge of the seal in fluid-sealing engagement with a peripheral surface portion of a corresponding one of the axially spaced ends'of the hub 12.

These seals 46, in conjunction with the T-shaped seals 37 at the lands 21, are adapted to prevent loss of fluid-pressure medium from the cam recesses 19, during power movement of the rotor induced by pressure against the leading sides of the respective slide-valve plates 25.

On use of the rotary engine described above, to drive or operate any power driven device (not shown) suitably connected to the power shaft 15, pressure-fluid medium is continuously supplied through the supply conduit 26, passages 27 and 28 in hub 15, constantly tending to urge the valve plates 25 radially outwardly, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Pressure fluid bypassed through the end of any valve plate exposed within a cam chamber 19 enters such recess to force the rotor in the forward direction indicated by feathered arrows in FIGS. 1 and 4. It will be readily apparent, by reference to these two drawing views, that there will always be at least one valve plate presented within a cam recess, and that rotation of the rotor 14 will be constant as long as the fluid pressure medium is supplied as described. The efficiency of the rotary motor is greatly enhanced by the aforementioned sealing devices which prevent leakage of fluid medium from the respective cam chambers, and by the efficient means for controlled conduction of spent fluid medium from the cam chamber 39, to the discharge passage 34 through the vanes 32 of the annular grid 31.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A fluid-pressure operated rotary engine comprising: a relatively fixed hollow housing; a hub nonrotatably affixed relative to said housing, and having an outer cylindrical surface defining an annular chamber within said housing; an annular rotor mounted in said housing for relative rotation in said annular chamber, and having therein a plurality of peripherally spaced, camming cavities defining cam surfaces between intermediate bearing lands in rotational engagement with said cylindrical surface; said hub having therein peripherally spaced radial slots'of predetermined radial depth from said cylindrical surface and opening toward said chamber; slide plates radially slidably received in said radial slots, and having end portionsadapted to ride over said lands and said cam surfaces between the lands upon forward rotation of said rotor in said annular chamber; conduit means for providing a continuous supply of fluid-pressure medium through said relatively fixed hub to said radial slots for urging said slide plates radially outwardly toward engagement with said cam surfaces and said lands with rotation of said rotor; said slide plates having passage means for by-passing a predetermined proportion of fluid-pressure medium through said slide paltes forwardly of leading sides thereof adapted, by pressure build-up within the corresponding said camming cavities, thereby to rotate said rotor in forward direction; and outlet passage means provided in said rotor for conducting the expended fluid-pressure medium from said camming cavities at the trailing sides of said slide plates.

2. A rotary engine as in claim 1, including axially extending sealing elements mounted in said lands to rotate therewith, and including radially inwardly presented axial extents of the elements in fluid-sealing engagement with the cylindrical surface of said hub.

3. A rotary engine as in claim 2, including means for supplying pressurized fluid medium against said sealing elements for maintaining the same in said fluid sealing engagement with said cylindrical surface.

4. A rotary engine as in claim 3, said means for supplying fluid medium including by-pass means from the leading ends of said chambers to said sealing elements.

5. A rotary engine as in claim 4, said housing having therein exhaust outlet means communicating with said outlet passage means in the rotor, for discharging said expended fluid-pressure medium from the housing.

6. A rotary engine as in claim 5 including provision of an annular grate provided with spaced means for directionally controlled conduction of spent fluid medium from said camming cavities.

7. A rotary engine as in claim 6, said spaced means including a plurality of peripherally spaced, fluiddeflecting vanes.

8. A rotary engine as in claim 7, wherein said vanes are V-shaped.

9. A rotary engine as in claim 1, including provision of an annular grate provided with spaced means for directionally controlled conduction of spent fluid medium from said camming cavities.

10. A rotary engine as in claim 1, including provision of an annular grate provided with spaced means for directionally controlled conduction of spent fluid medium from said camming cavities. Said spaced means including a plurality of peripherally spaced, fluiddeflecting vanes.

11. A rotary engine as in claim ll, including provision of an annular grate provided with spaced means for directionally controlled conduction of spent fluid medium from said camming cavities, said spaced means including a plurality of peripherally spaced, fluiddeflecting vanes wherein said vanes are V-shaped. 

1. A fluid-pressure operated rotary engine comprising: a relatively fixed hollow housing; a hub non-rotatably affixed relative to said housing, and having an outer cylindrical surface defining an annular chamber within said housing; an annular rotor mounted in said housing for relative rotation in said annular chamber, and having therein a plurality of periPherally spaced, camming cavities defining cam surfaces between intermediate bearing lands in rotational engagement with said cylindrical surface; said hub having therein peripherally spaced radial slots of predetermined radial depth from said cylindrical surface and opening toward said chamber; slide plates radially slidably received in said radial slots, and having end portions adapted to ride over said lands and said cam surfaces between the lands upon forward rotation of said rotor in said annular chamber; conduit means for providing a continuous supply of fluid-pressure medium through said relatively fixed hub to said radial slots for urging said slide plates radially outwardly toward engagement with said cam surfaces and said lands with rotation of said rotor; said slide plates having passage means for by-passing a predetermined proportion of fluid-pressure medium through said slide paltes forwardly of leading sides thereof adapted, by pressure build-up within the corresponding said camming cavities, thereby to rotate said rotor in forward direction; and outlet passage means provided in said rotor for conducting the expended fluid-pressure medium from said camming cavities at the trailing sides of said slide plates.
 2. A rotary engine as in claim 1, including axially extending sealing elements mounted in said lands to rotate therewith, and including radially inwardly presented axial extents of the elements in fluid-sealing engagement with the cylindrical surface of said hub.
 3. A rotary engine as in claim 2, including means for supplying pressurized fluid medium against said sealing elements for maintaining the same in said fluid sealing engagement with said cylindrical surface.
 4. A rotary engine as in claim 3, said means for supplying fluid medium including by-pass means from the leading ends of said chambers to said sealing elements.
 5. A rotary engine as in claim 4, said housing having therein exhaust outlet means communicating with said outlet passage means in the rotor, for discharging said expended fluid-pressure medium from the housing.
 6. A rotary engine as in claim 5, including provision of an annular grate provided with spaced means for directionally controlled conduction of spent fluid medium from said camming cavities.
 7. A rotary engine as in claim 6, said spaced means including a plurality of peripherally spaced, fluid-deflecting vanes.
 8. A rotary engine as in claim 7, wherein said vanes are V-shaped.
 9. A rotary engine as in claim 1, including provision of an annular grate provided with spaced means for directionally controlled conduction of spent fluid medium from said camming cavities.
 10. A rotary engine as in claim 1, including provision of an annular grate provided with spaced means for directionally controlled conduction of spent fluid medium from said camming cavities. Said spaced means including a plurality of peripherally spaced, fluid-deflecting vanes.
 11. A rotary engine as in claim 1, including provision of an annular grate provided with spaced means for directionally controlled conduction of spent fluid medium from said camming cavities, said spaced means including a plurality of peripherally spaced, fluid-deflecting vanes wherein said vanes are V-shaped. 